Lower Silesian Castles in “The Illustrated Weekly” Magazine

Founded in Warsaw in 1859 by Józef Unger, was a leading and widely read Polish cultural and social periodical of the Positivist era.

Among the woodcuts published there between 1875 and 1884, there are about a dozen views of Lower Silesian castles and their descriptions. Here are some of them.

Located in the Rudawy Janowickie, the castle was built in the 1470s by Cleric Bolcz, the then owner of this mineral-rich area. It was burnt down during the Thirty Years’ War and subsequently fell into ruins.

In the 19th century, it was partially reconstructed by order of the then owner, Count von Stolberg-Wernigerode, and became a popular tourist attraction. “Legend holds that the castle cellars conceal vast treasures of untold wealth”, wrote “Tygodnik” in 1882. 

Erected most probably in the mid-14th century by Duke Bolko II of Świdnica, it was first mentioned in the sources in 1364. Soon it became the property of Gotsche Schoff II – the progenitor of the famous Schaffgotsch family.

Extended several times, it was abandoned after a fire in 1675 and soon became a “must-see” destination for visitors to Cieplice. We can learn what feelings could have accompanied a visit by reading the “Tygodnik” of 1884.

Castellany mentioned in a papal bull of 1155. First a ducal seat, and a knight’s property between 1320 and 1470, Grodziec was later bought by the Duke of Legnica. Rebuilt in the 16th century, the castle was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War.

“The work of destruction was executed in such a manner that, of all the edifices, only the palace endured, which once served as a knight’s dwelling”– reported “Tygodnik” in 1881. 25 years later, the castle underwent extensive reconstruction.

Today’s Legnica Castle, rebuilt and reconstructed several times, conceals the remains of the oldest edifice of its kind within the Polish lands. For centuries, it stood as the centre of ducal power in this part of Silesia, which was ruled by the Piast dynasty.

A testament to the building’s former splendour is the Renaissance portal, as described in “Tygodnik” of 1875: “This monument of ancient architecture, [...] is nonetheless worthy of the researcher’s attention”.

In contrast, the castle in Karpniki (German: Fischbach), also depicted in the drawing, has endured throughout the ages. Built in the 14th century, it acquired its present neo-Gothic form in 1846.

In 1881, “Tygodnik Ilustrowany” published the following description of the Wleń Castle: “Before us lies the former castle courtyard, where a square tower with a gate and a drawbridge used to stand. Every footstep thuds hard here...

…for tall maples and numerous bushes have taken deep roots in the place of the once magnificent buildings. The only witness to the past are the ruins of this castle tower, a former watchtower...".